Part 48 (1/2)

”That is my master workman,--he will make those boots.”

”Remember,” said the gentleman to Mikhayla, ”remember! Make them so that they will wear a year.”

s.e.m.e.n, too, looked at Mikhayla, and he saw that Mikhayla was not looking at the gentleman, but gazed at the corner, as though he saw some one there. Mikhayla looked and looked, suddenly smiled and shone bright.

”What makes you show your teeth, fool? You had better be sure and get the boots in time.”

And Mikhayla said:

”They will be done in time.”

”Exactly.”

The gentleman put on his boot and his fur coat, and wrapped himself up, and went to the door. He forgot to bow down, and hit his head against the lintel.

The gentleman cursed awhile, and rubbed his head, and seated himself in the carriage, and drove away.

When the gentleman was gone, s.e.m.e.n said:

”He is mighty flinty! You can't kill him with a club. He has knocked out the lintel, but he himself took little harm.”

And Matrena said:

”How can he help being smooth, with the life he leads? Even death will not touch such a sledge-hammer!”

VII.

And s.e.m.e.n said to Mikhayla:

”To be sure, we have undertaken to do the work, if only we do not get into trouble! The material is costly, and the gentleman is cross. I hope we shall not make a blunder. Your eyes are sharper, and your hands are nimbler than mine, so take this measure! Cut the material, and I will put on the last st.i.tches.”

Mikhayla did not disobey him, but took the gentleman's material, spread it out on the table, doubled it, took the scissors, and began to cut.

Matrena came up and saw Mikhayla cutting, and was wondering at what he was doing. Matrena had become used to the shoemaker's trade, and she looked, and saw that Mikhayla was not cutting the material in shoemaker fas.h.i.+on, but in a round shape.

Matrena wanted to say something, but thought: ”Perhaps I do not understand how boots have to be made for a gentleman; no doubt Mikhayla knows better, and I will not interfere.”

Mikhayla cut the pair, and picked up the end, and began to sew, not in shoemaker fas.h.i.+on, with the two ends meeting, but with one end, like soft shoes.

Again Matrena marvelled, but did not interfere. And Mikhayla kept sewing and sewing. They began to eat their dinner, and s.e.m.e.n saw that Mikhayla had made a pair of soft shoes from the gentleman's material.

s.e.m.e.n heaved a sigh. ”How is this?” he thought. ”Mikhayla has lived with me a whole year, and has never made a mistake, and now he has made such trouble for me. The gentleman ordered boots with long boot-legs, and he has made soft shoes, without soles, and has spoiled the material. How shall I now straighten it out with the master? No such material can be found.”

And he said to Mikhayla:

”What is this, dear man, that you have done? You have ruined me. The master has ordered boots, and see what you have made!”

He had just begun to scold Mikhayla, when there was a rattle at the door ring,--some one was knocking. They looked through the window: there was there a man on horseback, and he was tying up his horse. They opened the door: in came the same lad of that gentleman.

”Good day!”